Time and Space
by xaNgeLz.21x
Summary: Sawada Tsunayoshi remembered dying, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He remembered seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. But then why is he lying on a bed that he hadn't seen for a hundred years? Time travel? No. He doesn't remember having a brother, much less a younger twin. What he remembered was a brief flick on his forehead and a mop of unnaturally white hair.
1. Prologue: Who's at Fault

**Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!**

Summary: Sawada Tsunayoshi remembered dying, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He remembered seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. But then why is he lying on a bed that he hadn't seen for a hundred years? Time travel? No. He doesn't remember having a brother, much less a younger twin. What he remembered was a brief flick on his forehead and a mop of unnaturally white hair. "BYAKURAN GESSO! YOU ARE SO DEAD!"

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Prologue: Who is At Fault

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

At least that was what Byakuran Gesso believed in. And that's why he was enacting his revenge right now, after one hundred years. Revenge for what, you ask. Why, for killing him in the what-should-be future.

Oh, he knew it hadn't happen to him and wouldn't happen anytime in the future, but still having your carefully structured plan destroyed by a shrimp who could barely pass school was a huge embarassement. Never mind the fact that said shrimp killed the future him.

There was another reason he was doing this.

He was conducting an experiment. He had recently developed a new aspect in his ability on parallel dimensions. It was a relatively harmless project, but so far it yielded no results.

He hummed cheerfully as he walked through the eerily quiet hallway of the Vongola Mansion. The maids bustled past him and the guards paid no attention to him; he was a frequent visitor after all.

There was a certain blanket of depression that hung about in the mansion. Byakuran knew that he arrived at the right time.

He arrived at his destination still humming. He checked himself out first at the nearest mirror, which happened to be the current security's sunglasses. He looked fine, still not a day out of eighteen (Bless other worlds and their technology).

He smirked then bypassed the security. Pushing open the door, he analysed what he saw.

It was any enemy Famiglia's dream.

All high-ranking Vongola mafioso were inside. From the Eleventh to his Guardians. The current Twelfth Boss. The current Guardians. The family of these men (and women). Allied Family Bosses of the Vongola. Every life that the Vongola touched was there, crowding the room.

_One planted bomb and kaboom~! _Byakuran thought.

He slipped through the relatives and close friends, remaining unnoticed even by the renowned 11th Mist Guardian (son of one Chrome Dokuro and Kyouya Hibari). He ghosted towards the bed where everybody's attention was focused.

In the danger that was known as the Underworld, it was every mafioso's dream to die of old age.

And Tsuna was one of the few who managed to achieve this wish. He had lived long and outlived all his Guardians and his wife who he dearly missed and loved.

Weak and dying, his resolve still shone bright in the dark. He still had the power and authority as he did in the past.

_The body is weak but the soul is not_.

Byakuran stood by the headrest of the bed.

Tsuna's eyes briefly flickered to him, and Byakuran noticed the lack of recognition in his ally's eyes.

It seemed that Tsuna was more focused on leaving everyone with his message. To continue his work and destroy Vongola's reputation of violence. To be the vigilante group that Primo had asked them to be.

The light in Decimo's eyes was dimming, and Byakuran knew that if he had to act it had to be now. When Tsuna reached the end, his soul could not be pulled back in. Like that Chinese woman I-pin or that Lightning Guardian. He had arrived just a few seconds late and had not been able to enact his experiments on them. The loud and obnoxious Sun had been his first test subject but up until now, there had been no reports about him.

Byakuran concentrated his flames on his forefinger and thumb, and gave Decimo a flick on the forehead

Decimo's body gave a small jerk then went still. The light was gone from his eyes.

Whatever holding the family gave way. First it was just sniffling then somebody wailed. It started a chain reaction that turned the place into a weep fest. The women openly sobbed in their (at least those who had) husbands' arms. The men turned away to hide their faces and others outright fled from the scene.

The Eleventh Boss pried his arms off his wife's hands and pulled the sheet over his father's body.

"He had lived well. May his spirit rest in eternal peace with his ancestors and Family."

And with that Byakuran slipped out. It wouldn't be proper to laugh at somebody's deathbed now, would it?

Later that evening, the Gesso Famiglia would wonder why Yumitsu Gesso, 'son' of the late Byakuran Gesso was cackling wildly and evilly to himself (Well, not really. Two identical women from Cervello were with him). Nevertheless, everyone felt shiver run down their spines. They swore to never come near their Boss's room that night.

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**So, how is it?**

**Review please ^.^**


	2. Chapter I: Merging of Two Souls

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kateikyo Hitman Reborn!**

**About Yumitsu Gesso:** That's really Byakuran posing as his son when he doesn't even have a son. It goes like this: Byakuran had been merrily hoping dimensions when he found one that greatly advanced on medical technology. And this one had found a serum for near immortality. Near immortality such that you will still die. It works in slowing down body changes/processes. As for his eighteen years old appearance, come on, surgery and cosmetics, people! Without it he looks sixty+ years old.

He stole the serum and the papers, and injected it to himself. He was already forty by that time. He led for another twenty years until his supposed retirement. Note: he still looked forty ish then. In order to still lead his Famiglia, he faked his death on his 'retirement' day. Then he vanished for two months and emerged, surgically younger, as Yumitsu to continue his 'father's' will.

**About Byakuran swearing loyalty to Yuni and becoming Tsuna's sidekick:** He only swore loyalty to Yuni and didn't become Tsuna's sidekick. Maybe ally but never sidekick.

**About Tsuna's wife: **That hadn't occured to me actually. Let me just say, I'll cross the bridge when I get there.

**Pairings: **Just the implied canon pairings (except 27K, their relationship will be more like friendship)

**Many thanks to all the reviews, follows and faves of this story. Your support is overwhelming. :)**

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Chapter One: The Merging of Two Souls

_Beep...beep...beep...beep..._

_What...?_

_Spanner, are you inventing again?_

**_Who is Spanner?_**

_Can you keep it down? It's too loud. You can hear it my room._

**_It's always too quiet in the neighbourhood. In my room it's silent._**

_What time is it? Reborn should be barging in now, always nagging about paperwork. And oniisan should be shouting 'Extreme!' at this time. Wait...oniisan?_

**_Reborn, who is he? And why would my brother scream 'Extreme' so early in the morning?_**

_He's..._

**_Who?_**

_I'm...dead, aren't I?_

**_No..._**

_I died..._

**_I never died._**

Then what is that noise?

_Beep...beep...beep..._

"...na...-suna..."

_Someone's crying._

**_Why? I'm still here._**

_They are calling my name._

**_I never died._**

_Don't be sad._

**_I'm still here._**

_I'm still here._

_Beep...beep...beep...beep..._

Sunlight washed over Tsuna's face as he blearily opened his eyes. He slowly blinked once, then twice, then thrice.

The ceiling remained as it was, white and unassuming.

_That can't be right..._

**_My room is blue._**

_It's too low._

The voice seemed louder. It was a woman, but who?

**_Okaasan..._**

_That's right. That's mom's voice. But why was she crying? Shouldn't she be glad to see me?_

A face appeared in his field of vision, obscuring the too bright lights of the ceiling. The person was smiling and...crying?

Brown hair tickled the areas where they fell. Brown eyes filled with tears which fell on his face.

**_Mom looks so tired, so drained. She shouldn't. She should not wear such a look._**

_Beep...beep...beep..._

_Somebody please turn off that sound..._

"Tsu-kun?"

Then he knew no more.

* * *

_Beep...beep...beep..._

_It's that sound again. Why won't they turn it off?_

_It's noisy. Much more annoying than Lambo's cries..._

**_Who's Lambo?_**

"Tuna-fish..."

_Somebody's talking to me. _

"It's Papa."

**_Dad? Why are you here?_**

"I know you can hear me."

_I can._

**_I can._**

"Mama's just out with Hikari, buying some food for your brother. They'll be back soon. For now, just enjoy your Papa's company, ne?"

_Who's Hikari? Mom's friend? I don't..._

**_Hikari Sawada...I thought you hate me...why are you here?_**

_Where is here?_

"I rushed to the hospital as soon as I can. Forgive me for not visiting earlier."

_Hospital...that explains the beeps._

**_But what am I doing here?_**

"Papa's too busy at work, you see. Being the leader of the CEDEF is a tough job."

**_What...?_**

_What...?_

**_I thought you work for a construction company._**

_I thought I fired you._

"Nono's near retirement. He's arranging his will and everything. He is already choosing the candidate for Vongola Decimo."

_Decimo...But that's me..._

**_Vongola? What's that got to do with your job?_**

"But don't worry. You wouldn't be involved in it. Your otouto is the candidate. Timoteo and I had a deal."

_What!?_

"Ah, you must be confused right now. You must excuse an old man's rambling." There was a sound of something sliding open and footsteps on the floor. "Look, Mama and your brother are here."

"How is he?" A woman's voice this time.

"The same as before. I thought I saw a finger twitch. Must have been my imagination."

"It shouldn't be. He opened his eyes. I saw it. He saw me. Last night..."

"Okaasan, why don't you sit down?" A male voice. It sounded like him when he was younger, only with a different intonation.

The sound of something scraping on the floor. And a heavy thud.

"He mouthed 'Okaasan' before falling unconscious. The doctor saw it too."

"Then he's out of the coma?" The same male voice asked with hidden scorn and maybe, just maybe _fear._

**_Hikari..._**

_Hikari? My...brother? Why does he hate me?_

**_You tried to kill me._**

"Yes," Okaasan answered. "The doctor said so."

"That's great!" Hikari exclaimed with a barely noticable quiver. "I've got loads to tell Tsuna!"

"Now, now, Hikari," Father said. "You might overwhelm hm. Besides, Tsuna has to wake up first."

_That's right. I have to wake up. My body feels heavy...Sleep sounds good right now._

Then he heard no more.

* * *

_Tick...tock...tick...tock.._

_Tsuna turned over in his bed. He could not sleep. He had felt restless all day, and he didn't know why._

_His stomach growled._

_Oh, that might be another reason. He had barely eaten all day. His lunch had been stolen by bullies and Hikari didn't let him eat anything. And in the end he excused himself early._

_Their mother had been oblivious about it._

_He turned again._

_Nana had checked on him earlier. He pretended to be asleep and she wished him good night and left._

_Tick...tock...tick...tock..._

_He sat up and threw his blanket off. It was useless. He couldn't sleep. Something was nagging at the back of his mind._

_He stood up and trekked out his room. He really should listen to his mother and clean._

_He figured he should head to the kitchen. Maybe a quick snack would help?_

_As he walked the hallway, he noticed that the lights were still on in his brother's bedroom. But he paid it no mind. It had always been like that._

_He quietly went down the stairs and entered the kitchen. He kept the lights off; their mother might wake. He rummaged through the fridge, pulled out the ingredients and began making a sandwich._

_The feeling was stronger and it was telling him to run away, to hide. He ignored it as he saw no danger involved and resumed eating._

_Tick...tock...tick...tock..._

_He finished his food and put away the things he used. He was setting down his cup of water when he heard footsteps._

_The feeling was back and screaming at him to run._

_It all happened so fast._

_He tried to turn towards the sound when something hard hit him at the back of his head. It made him see stars._

_As he fell his forehead hit the kitchen counter and his hand swiped the glass. He never reached the floor for something wrapped around his neck, cutting off his circulation._

_His hands grasped at the thing and felt cloth. He tried to pry off the cloth but it was too tight._

_His vision was getting blurry. He struggled weakly against his attacker and only succeeded on stepping on his assailant's foot eliciting a startled 'Ow!'._

_Tsuna started. He knew that voice! He twisted and turned until they'd somehow got beside the window across the room._

_Darkness was starting to creep around the edges._

_His attacker's face was momentarily reflected on the window. And his twin's blurry face glared back at him._

_Heavy footsteps were heard and his twin let go, letting Tsuna fall to the ground._

_He hit the floor with a crack. Somehow he managed to hold onto his consciousness._

_He heard his twin shout, "Get back here, you bastard!"_

_Light flooded the kitchen and his mother's voice floated in his ears, "W-what h-happened here, Hikari?"_

_"A robber tried to kill Tsuna. I just arrived in time to pry the thief off." His twin panted. "The bastard clawed me in the arm though. He even got away."_

_"P-police! No, ambulance! Call the ambulance, Hikari!" Their mother's voice seemed so near. "Tsu-tsuna's bleeding! He's losing blood! When I find the thief who did this, I'll make sure he'll never see the light of the day again."_

**_He's right beside you, mom. There is no robber..._**

_And the darkness beckoned him._

* * *

His father was staying home for two weeks before flying off to his job. And Hikari was happy. He got to spend time with his father.

The downside was his brother was going to be discharged this day.

It was two days after they'd visited his Dame brother-who had yet to fully awaken-in the hospital. And two days ago he had to weave a believable lie for his father.

His father who shouldn't have detected the tremble in his voice.

Luckily Iemitsu had bought the lie. That Hikari was merely worried for his brother's sake and he was relieved to know that he was safe.

They were riding a cab towards Namimori Hospital. The doctor had called earlier that day and reported that Tsuna was awake already. He further said that Tsuna had been terribly confused and seemed to be exhibiting selective Retrogade Amnesia.

"Retrogade Amnesia?" Nana asked Iemitsu.

"It's a form of amnesia that forgets everything before the accident. In Tsuna's case, only a few select memories are missing." Iemitsu answered.

Hikari remained silent but inside he was quivering with joy aand relief.

_Dame Tsuna might not remember it was me. _

He was pretty sure Tsuna saw his face that night. That was why he had renewed his effort in silencing his brother.

He would have succeeded if not for their mother hearing the ruckus. How she fought the sleeping pills he gave her, Hikari would never know.

He threw his plans to the window and blamed an imaginary robber in his place. He was lucky his mother was too oblivious, too gullible. A simple lie and she bought it hook, line and sinker.

"Unfortunately, we cannot ask Tsuna if he remembered the face of the culprit." Iemitsu was saying. "Here we are."

And so they were. Namimori Hospital loomed over them. Hikari gulped. The moment of truth.

The walk to Tsuna's room was filled with Nana's happy hums. To Hikari it seemed shorter than what he remembered.

The door to his brother's room was partially opened and they could hear the conversation inside.

"-tor movements seem fine. No problems in breathing?"

"None." A voice answered softly.

"Your wounds and bruises are healing nicely. You are going to be discharged today. We are just waiting for your parents to sign the paperwork."

"Alright."

They took that as a cue to enter.

"Tsu-kun!" Nana cried as she rushed forward and enveloped her son in a hug. "Thank Kami you are fine!"

"Tuna-fish! You had us worried there." Iemitsu followed, patting Tsuna's back affectionately.

Hikari hung back. The moment he entered the room he felt something was different.

His brother had looked at their mother uncomprehendingly befoher returning her hug. And he didn't flinch away from their father's touch when Hikari was sure Tsuna hated him with a passion. And the look on his face, it was like he saw a ghost or something.

Then his older twin turned to him. The look melted into genuine confusion, not fear.

"Tsuna! How are you?" Hikari bounded foreward. "Won't you greet your younger brother?"

Tsuna's next words surprisingly pierced Hikari's heart. It made him stop dead causing his arms to fall to his side.

_"But I don't have a brother."_

* * *

**Hope you like it. It took me many revisions to finally, finally finish this.**

**Feel free to point out any confusion in this chapter :)**

**This fic will most probably progress slowly.**

**Please review. Your input can greatly help. :)**


	3. Chapter II: Confrontations

**Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!**

**My attempt at humor :)**

**Thanks for the support everyone!**

* * *

_"But I don't have a brother."_

Hikari stopped dead where he was standing. He openly gaped at his brother who showed neither contempt nor hatred for him, only honest confusion.

The large, doe-like brown eyes were blinking at him in a dazed way. Hikari knew his brother was not lying.

He forced his mouth shut and calmed himself. He shouldn't care. Nobody should care what Dame-Tsuna had to say. And besides, this counted as a blessing for Hikari. No memory, no tattling on him. But, why did his heart hurt so much?

The rest of the room was also shocked into silence. Nana had pushed Tsuna at arm's length and was holding him by the shoulders. Iemitsu had stopped patting Tsuna and was studying him calculatingly. The fact that Tsuna spoke clearly for the first time in many years (A year and a half; that was the last time he spoke loudly) didn't seem to go noticed.

"W-what are you saying, D-Tsuna?" Hikari almost slipped and called him Dame in front of their parents.

"That's just mean, Tsu-kun." Nana admonished the same time Hikari spoke. "Hikari was the one who saved you."

Tsuna only shook his head.

"I don't know him." He continued stubbornly. The brown eyes were still on Hikari who felt the urge to hide behind someone. Tsuna's gaze was sharp and piercing. His brother was looking at him as one would look at a puzzle. Sharp, calculating, and a desire to solve it all.

And Hikari inwardly scoffed. His brother's grade was pathetic; there was no way he could solve anything.

Still, Hikari resisted the urge to squirm and instead adopted a false look of concern. Damn Tsuna, he felt like he was being evaluated.

Iemitsu had pulled a shocked Nana away from Tsuna and was whispering comforting words to her. Tsuna tore his eyes off Hikari whose shoulders sagged with relief. His eyes softened as he stared at their mother's back with concern. The doctor ushered the two out of the room. Hikari made to follow-he did not want to stay in this room anymore-but Iemitsu's sharp look forced him to stay put. He seemed to stay, 'You are to stay with your brother until we get back'.

The door slid close.

He was the only one left, and Tsuna's gaze returned full force. Hikari noticed some slight difference in his brother-aside from the obvious speaking out loudly and clearly. For one, there was a certain way he held himself. He was not hunched over, unconsciously shrinking himself from attention. His whole posture simply screamed 'Confidence'. The other was his Tsuna's eyes. They held not the defeated look on them; they were burning and when Hikari met his eyes, they seemed _old, _seeming to be filled with wisdom waiting to be imparted.

Which was all ridiculo-

Hikari's thoughts momentarily halted. A brilliant thought struck him. Whatever happened to Tsuna when he was unconscious was no concern of his, but whatever happened _after _he could do with. If Tsuna didn't remember him then he could manipulate this Tsuna to his liking.

Of course, it didn't occur to Hikari to think about parallel worlds, white-haired marshmallow freaks and space manipulation. After all this was _reality, _not one of those sci-fi thingies he watched on t.v.

And certainly didn't occur to him to think of espionages, assassination and undercover works. What was this, the freaking _mafia?_

Nope, Hikari's greedy thoughts were far from those. If it was he would have realized that this was not his brother, well not entirely, or he could have been replaced by someone else who was ordered to kill him while in the clear.

Nope, he didn't think at all.

Anyway, Tsuna was still staring at his brother who was still resisting the urge to fidget. Hikari slipped on a worried look-he had had a lot of practice with those clingy idiot girls at school-and approached Tsuna.

"How are you, Tsuna-nii?" The words felt foreign to his tongue. He hadn't called his brother niisan since they were five, not after..."I was so worried about you. When I saw the robber holding you at chokehold, I did my best and-"

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Tsunayoshi-kun."

* * *

Tsuna had seen a lot of things in his lifetime. From hitman babies who weren't quite babies, unending hair weapon storage, purple smoking poisoned food to unnatural fires or flames or whatever you want to call it. He also saw people with wings and grotesque appearances (coughSixFuneralWreathscough). He had also witnessed a weapon with the capability to send people ten years in the future. He was also scarred in seeing Takeshi and Hayato on his desk, partially na-Oh wait, that were Mukuro and his illusions messing with his brain. Last time he checked his Guardians had wives.

So he should really have seen this coming.

Really.

His first thought when he had woke up was _Where is he_, then followed by _What the hell is happening _when a doctor entered and informed of his supposed coma.

Tsuna took it all into stride. He was the Boss of the number one rowdiest, weirdest and most unpredictable Guardians to ever exist. (Fuuta had ranked them and Primo surprisingly came second. How Fuuta could rank a dead man, Tsuna had no idea.) And he was used to all the crazy, unpredictable things happening around him.

He had smiled and assured the doctor he was fine. Yes, he could speak. No, he was not in pain. And you are holding three fingers up. His smile had disarmed the doctor. It was, after all, the smile of the _Angelo Cielo _of all mafia. It is a smile that said, 'You will tell me everything you know and not ask a single question and will not remember anything I asked because Reborn taught me subtle hypnotism'. Yeah, it was _that _smile that made all tough criminals crack.

He began with how he ended up in the hospital, what year it is, how long was he out and were there any random explosions happening in Namimori (for the doctor said he was in Namimori Hospital). The last bit confused the already bedazzled doctor.

Namimori had always been peaceful, he said. Thanks to Hibari Kyouya and his army that was called the Discipline Committee.

And thus Tsuna concluded he had somehow travelled through time. And he further concluded that this was life after death. After all, who had _seen_ life after death and went back to tell the tale? And life after death seemed to be a second chance to redo things. (September 2, 19XX was definitely not his time. He remembered the date was August 20, 20XX.)

Although he may not be Dame, poor Tsuna had the unfortunate habit of jumping to wrong conclusions. (More often than not, blaming himself for something others did. I mean, seriously, he could not have caused the second coming of the apocalypse, aka Mist and Cloud Fight, in Sicily when he was off doing work in Florence. He thought the fight was his fault. He had forgotten to inform either of them that Chrome was shopping with the girls. When neither could find her, they assumed she was in danger, pointed fingers at each other figuratively and chaos.)

And because he had already concluded such, he asked no question whatsoever about his parents. He stopped the hypnotism which effectively removed the memories of the last few minutes from the doctor. Then he let the doctor do his thing.

A passing remark of the doctor, however, threw his conclusion out the window.

_You're lucky your brother was there to save you._

And Tsuna's mouth worked before his brain.

_Brother? What brother? Why did he have to save me?_

The doctor had looked at him questioningly afterwards. He then stated that Tsuna had amnesia and proceeded to treat him like glass.

And so Tsuna descended into single word replies, just to make the doctor leave. But Fate was a bitch and decided that it was time Tsuna meet this supposed brother who he had not even asked questions of.

Of course, his parents were there, even Iemitsu the idiot bastard, and had hugged him senseless. Tsuna was prepared for this and only managed to express a little shock at seeing them alive. But he could not keep the nostalgic look off his face.

Then in came his supposed brother. And make no mistake, it was truly his brother. He would have gotten a heart attack if Mukuro had not pulled off this trick once (_After _he had warmed up to the Famiglia). This brother of his was his not so identical twin it seemed.

He was only a few inches taller than Tsuna was (he assumed that since he was thirteen, he would have the same height then). Although his hair was also as gravity-defying as Tsuna's, it looked unnaturally spiky, unlike Tsuna's soft and fluffy one. It was also a shade lighter than his, taking after the blond shade his father had. This brother was also lean and well-built.

Then this brother spoke.

Tsuna met a lot of people in his one-hundred and thirteen years of living. He had seen timid, quiet, shy, bullied, loud, idiotic, perverted, cowards, liars, egoistic, crazy and the list would go on. But the point is, Tsuna had known a lot of people in the Underworld and knew how to distinguish their personalities.

And this brother of his was the type of person he hated. He didn't need his Hyper Intuition to know his brother was a deceptive liar. He immediately recognized the false mask of concern. So, his mouth worked before his brain.

_But I don't have a brother_.

His observations were proven right when his brother almost slipped and called him Dame right there and then. His mother admonished him about Hikari saving him.

_I don't know him. _He had continued stubbornly. At least he got a name. He was given a chance to study Hikari's reaction-shock, hurt, hate and...was that relief?-all in a span of one second.

His family was shocked into silence and the doctor had asked his parents to come with. He didn't miss the meaningful look Iemitsu gave Hikari before they left.

Tsuna was once again given a chance to observe this supposed brother. The scheming look on Hikari's face reminded Tsuna of Reborn minus the scare and intimidation. He let the boy scheme and contemplated what the hell was happening.

In the less than one hour time he had been aware of his surroundings, his Hyper Intuition had been screaming something to him. Now that Tsuna is somewhat alone, he listened properly to what his senses were telling him. Which turned out to be the obvious and one Tsuna would have deduced in the next five minutes.

_Parallel Dimension._

He did not remember having a brother, much less a younger twin. What he did remember was a mop of unnaturally white hair and a brief flick on his forehead.

_But Byakuran was dead._

Oh wait, he wasn't.

He remembered the supposed son of Byakuran appointing a meeting with him to strengthen the alliance of the two Families. He also remembered, during the meeting, his Hyper Intuition telli-no, screaming at him that this was Byakuran. He never doubted for one second his Intuition. However, he never asked Byaku-no, Yumitsu how he did it. He figured the answer would be too far-fetched even for him. He played along with Yumitsu until he died.

And now, he regretted giving Byakuran free pass to his mansion.

He supposed one hundred years wasn't enough to quail Byakuran's love for experimenting (and marshmallows).

He inwardly groaned. Once again he was a victim (test subject) of Byakuran's unhealthy obsession of experimenting. At least the albino didn't involve his Guardians.

* * *

_In another dimension, Byakuran sneezed in the middle of his presentation (why marshmallows are better than chocolate) to his Family. It must have been the cold, he decided. The ones who sincerely knew him were already dead, unfortunately._

* * *

Back to the matter at hand. It seemed like this brother had finished contemplating and was now speaking sugar-coated words. But Tsuna wasn't listening. He was more interested at the figure entering his room. Who coincidentally had a mop of white hair and was holding a bag of marshmallows in one hand and a box in another.

The figure waved cheerfully at him and said, "Ohayou gozaimasu, Tsunayoshi-kun!"

"You," Tsuna began slowly as he removed the blankets covering him. "Have signed your own death warrant."

Byakuran's smile never slipped off his face as he continued to walk in a sedate pace towards Tsuna. He raised his hands in the universal gesture of 'I come in peace'.

"Maa,maa, Tsunayoshi-kun," Byakuran began. "No need to be so hostile."

Tsuna tried to stand up but his legs wouldn't support him and gave out. Byakuran caught him.

"Careful there," He warned as he supported Tsuna back to his bed. Tsuna in his part made sure to dig his nails hard on the man's shoulders to show his ire. Byakuran winced but said nothing. "You just came out of a two weeks coma."

"I noticed." Tsuna dryly retorted. "What did you do?" He asked with a resigned sigh. It seemed that, in whatever dimension, Byakuran would still be Byakuran.

"Technically, it wasn't me." Byakuran flippantly replied as he dragged a chair and lounged on it. He had set aside his marshmallows and had opened the box which contained...cream puffs? "Oh, you don't mind if I eat these, do you? They are supposed to be a gift, but Namimori makes the best confectionary ever."

Tsuna's eye twitched and he resisted the urge to strangle the albino. He reminded himself that Byakuran was an ally and killing him would not give him answers.

"But, to answer your question, I brought you to a parallel dimension! Congratulations, Tsu-kun! So far, you are the first to successfully travel between worlds!" Byakuran spread out his hands as if delivering good news.

"So far?" Tsuna repeated. He did not like the sound of that.

"Yeah," Byakuran beamed. "My alternate self chose the ones with the most resilient flames and brought them here. Unfortunately, they don't recognize me."

"When you said the most resilient flames, do you mean...?" Tsuna trailed off, already dreading the answer.

"Your Guardians, of course! You guys have the strongest flames of the century. Your strengths are unrivalled."

That was the breaking point. Flames erupted from Tsuna's hands as he lunged towards the albino.

"BYAKURAN GESSO! YOU ARE SO DEAD!"

Byakuran just laughed as he danced out of reach. Somehow, he had produced a clipboard out of nowhere and was writing down something.

"Amazing, so you can still use your flames. Maa, I suppose Deathperation Flames are more spiritual and mental than physical. However..." Byakuran stopped as he noticed the one-sided attacks had stopped. "It's taking a toll on your body."

Tsuna was sweating like mad. He was exhausted after producing just a small amount of soft flames without a medium. He was using the edge of his bed as support.

Just then the door rattled. The two Sky Flame users glanced at it.

Only to find Tsuna's twin vainly trying to open it. They had completely forgotten about him.

"It won't work." Byakuran said.

He casually strolled towards Hikari who was staring wide-eyed at the two. Hikari pressed his back against the door.

"It won't work." He repeated, still wearing that easygoing smile of his. "Kikyo-chan and Zakuro-chan locked that door as per my order."

He inspected Hikari's face, turning his face from side to side.

"He doesn't look like you at all." He remarked. "You know, one of the reasons my alternate self chose this timeline is because of you."

"Me? Wha-what are you talking about?!" Hikari shouted.

"In an alternate timeline, Sawada Nana only had one child." Byakuran said. "In an alternate timeline, there was no 'robber' to strangle him to death. In an alternate timeline, he became the most revered Mafioso, surpassing his ancestor Primo. All that and more Tsunayoshi-kun had done. However, in this timeline, one hundred years later than his, Sawada Tsunayoshi is dead. The same time his alternate self did. Do you know? The night you strangled him, he actually died?" He asked, leering at the twin.

"Shiro-chan, stop scaring him. Not all of us are immune to your craziness."

Byakuran straightened, the menacing atmosphere gone. If Tsuna was calling him that, that would mean he had already cooled down.

"Maa, I suppose it doesn't matter anymore." He continued. "Thanks to you, my alternate self was able to send his soul to this body."

"Y-you've got to be kidding me." Hikari stuttered. "There's no way that can happen!"

"Well, I suppose it is rather strange to think about." Byakuran said. "Now, we can't have you tattling on us, can we?"

He snapped his finger and Hikari slumped, unconscious.

"What did you do?" Tsuna asked from his side. His physical strength was returning. He was unperturbed by the sudden loss of consciousness. He knew that Byakuran had stopped killing ever since he started living with Yuni. He trusted that his alternate selves were the same.

"Removed the last few minutes from his memory." Byakuran replied. He hoisted Hikari up and placed him on the chair. "Parallel worlds are just so wonderful. You should be resting, Tsu-kun."

Tsuna sighed but forced himself back to the bed. He accepted the glass of water Byakuran handed him.

"You said that that was only _one _of your reasons. What are the others?"

"Three reasons, actually. The first was what I previously said. The second, your Guardians died here." Tsuna spat the water he was about to swallow and doused his unconscious twin.

"What?" He coughed.

"Don't worry. They aren't dead. That's just one of the conditions needed, an empty body. In order to send a soul to another world, I need a vessel to send them into. What better body than their own? I chose the timeline in which all of you died and sent your souls before the body dies too. Or you ascend to the afterlife."

"All of us died?"

"Yeah. Sasagawa-kun was killed in a brawl when he was five. It was the same time he received that scar by the way. He succumbed to the pain as he was rushed to the hospital. Haya-chan was fed too many poisoned cooking and eventually died from it. Kyo-chan was ambushed by a yakuza group he angered when he was eleven. Mukuro didn't return from one of the six paths and left his body for good. Chrome-chan died when she saved the cat. And Yamamoto was mobbed during one of his games." Byakuran explained. "In your timeline, they survived all that."

"You didn't mention Lambo."

"Ah, him? He didn't die here and I got to him late." Byakuran said.

"And the third?" Tsuna asked. He didn't like how their survival had hinged on instances. It dreaded him that one wrong instance could have killed all of them.

"I want you to-" Byakuran started but was cut off as the door opened with a very loud bang.

"Get away from my sons!"

* * *

Hikari stared at the stranger speaking familiarly with his no-good brother. This man's face was somewhat familiar, as if Hikari had seen him already. Then it clicked.

This was the same man who was in Tsuna's room five days ago. Hikari noticed him entering just as he and his mother were leaving to get some snacks. He had not mentioned it to anyone because when they returned, the man was gone, leaving behind a pack of marshmallows.

This man was now speaking in familiar terms with Tsuna. Hikari attempted to follow the conversation but he was lost when they began speaking of flames and parallel worlds.

He slowly backed away from the pair as not to attract their attention. He never saw this side of his brother before. And it was scaring him. The Tsuna he knew would never threaten anybody.

He reached the door and slowly opened it. Only to find it was locked.

Then he jumped as fire erupted from Tsuna's hands and he began attacking the white-haired man. Hikari doubled his efforts in opening the door.

"It won't work." Hikari started. He didn't notice the one-sided brawl stop. He whirled around and pressed his back against the door.

"It won't work." The albino repeated.

Hikari was scared stiff when the man spoke to him. He couldn't refrain shouting at the creepy man.

_Dame-Tsuna? A Mafioso? How the hell did this man know what he did? _He thought.

When the man finished then Hikari found the courage to speak.

"Y-you've got to be kidding me." Hikari stuttered. "There's no way that can happen!"

"Well, I suppose it is rather strange to think about." The man said, still wearing that unnerving smile. "Now, we can't have you tattling on us, can we?"

Then Hikari knew no more.

When he came to, he was sitting inside a cab. His father was on the passenger's seat up front while his mother was sitting by his right, between him and Tsuna. Speaking of Tsuna, Hikari glanced at his older twin from his peripheral view.

Tsuna's shoulders were hunched and he seemed to flinch at every loud noise. His eyes skittered back and forth warily while somehow paying attention to their mother who he answered with nods and smiles. Never once speaking. Gone was the sharp look he saw in the hospital.

_Was it all my imagination...?_

Hikari breathed a mental sigh of relief. It seemed like Dame-Tsuna was still Dame-Tsuna.

"Ara, Hikari-kun, you're awake!" Nana exclaimed.

"Yeah," Hikari answered, but his face bore confusion. "What time is it?" He asked. He noticed the orange tone of the sky.

"About six. We found you sleeping by Tsu-kun's side. Gomen, Hikari," Nana apologized. "The paperwork took longer than we expected. Look, Papa fell asleep too." She gestured to the front seat where Iemitsu sat, with drool sliding down the corner of his mouth. "It was nice enough for those charming young men to help us. What were their names, Tsu-kun? Kikyo-san and Zakuro-san, was it?"

The taxi took a left turn and soon Hikari could see the gate of their house.

"Look, Tsu-kun, there's our house. Do you remember it?" Nana asked.

Tsuna, in his part, just nodded. He noticed Hikari's gaze and flinched.

_Didn't he not remember me?_

It seemed like the doctor was wrong. Tsuna could remember him if that flinch was an indication. It seemed Hikari had to threaten Tsuna into keeping his mouth shut. Not that he needed to. Tsuna was already mute. But maybe, a reminder wouldn't hurt.

* * *

Kikyo and Zakuro were once again searching for their wayward boss when something rushed past them, knocking over their cups of coffee on the pristine, white floor of the hospital. Why were they in the hospital, you ask? Well, according to their sentries, their boss was last seen in this area five days ago. Since this was their only lead, they decided to stake out here in the hope that their beloved yet trying boss would appear again.

And they were right. They had found their boss in the cafeteria buying a bag of marshmallows.

"Oh, Kikyo-chan, Zakuro-chan, ohayo" Their boss greeted as if nothing was wrong and he hadn't been missing for two months.

"Byakuran-sama!" "Barou!" The two gave their respective exclamations.

"What were you thinking?" Kikyo admonished. As Byakuran's right hand man it was his job to keep his boss in line.

"It was getting stuffy in the office." Byakuran replied, heedless of the angry stares directed at him. "I thought fresh air seems nice then."

"Barou! You made us chase you around the globe! One moment you were in America and the next in Greece!" Zakuro complained.

"Sorry, sorry." Byakuran apologized although he didn't look sorry at all. "But I did left you a note, didn't I?"

Kikyo twitched. The note Byakuran left consisted nothing but skulls, bombs and dynamites.

"It's not my fault you can't understand it." Byakuran continued. "Anyway, good timing. I need you to do something for me."

Which turned out to be guarding a specific door while their boss talked with the occupant.

"Barou! I don't get what's special about this guy." Zakuro complained. "Why do we have to guard the door of one..." he paused and looked at the nameplate at the door. "Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

"Sawada? Sounds familiar." Kikyo said. "I'm getting some coffee from that machine, you want anything?"

"I'm comin' with you. We can still see the door from there."

And so they bought their food. They had already locked the door and saw no danger so they decided to stay a bit longer than necessary.

They were not alarmed when they felt Sky flames coming from the room. Their boss was a Sky flame user after all.

However, they were alarmed when something came barrelling past them, knocking their food to the floor.

"Wasn't that..." Kikyo began.

"...Sawada Iemitsu?" Zakuro finished.

The two shared a glance before sprinting towards the blond man who was now vainly knocking open the door.

* * *

Tsuna's father came barrelling through the door, knocking it off its hinge.

"Get away from my sons!" He yelled. Tsuna saw that he was about to activate his Dying Will when suddenly, Byakuran was in front of him and kneed him in the gut. In two seconds flat, the young lion of Vongola was knocked out.

Byakuran proceeded to erase the last few minutes from his mind. And as he was putting the man on another chair, his subordinates came skidding to a stop in front of the door.

"Byakuran-sama! Are you alright?"

"Byakuran!"

"Oya, I asked you two to guard the door, didn't I?" Byakuran said. His tone was light but you could feel the dangerous aura surrounding him.

The two flinched. They knew the consequences of disobeying their boss's orders.

"Shiro-chan." Tsuna called.

"Hmm?" He asked, temporarily setting aside his ire.

"You keep knocking my family out. How are we supposed to leave this hospital without attracting attention?" Tsuna asked, exasperated. "And how can I explain this to my mother?"

"You don't have to." Byakuran replied. "No offense, but your mother is the most gullible woman I've had met."

"None taken." Tsuna deadpanned. It was true after all. Grenades were thrown and guns were fired in front of her and she still thought everything was a game.

"Anyway, I need to explain a few things about you before your mother comes." Byakuran told Tsuna. "Among your Family, you have the most different life. In this timeline, you have a twin brother as you can see. But you don't get along. His name is Sawada Hikari..."

Tsuna mulled over Byakuran's words as his family rode back to their house. Basically he was the same Dame-Tsuna as he was in his timeline. However, for some reason, he started not speaking a year and a half ago. He had no friends to speak of and his grades were always at the bottom. He was always sabotaged by his brother who frequently sent bullies after him. As a result, his self-esteem was none existent and he lacked confidence in anything.

He sent a covert glance at his still sleeping brother. He couldn't believe that someone could kill at a young age. (He tried not to think about the Families in Italy. They, after all, sent children younger than Hikari on assassinations.) It scared him that someone could be that cruel.

_Simply because I'm an embarrassment?_

There had to be another reason.

Byakuran also said that the memories of the deceased Tsuna would come back to him. He dearly wished to know if his brother was as mean as this when they were children. If not, when had it started?

His mother had been talking to him at the beginning of the journey, pointing things like the supermarket and the school and asking if he remembered those things.

Tsuna gave her absent nods and smiles. He could not focus with these things in mind. He glanced out the window.

The sun was already setting. But they were also nearing their house as Tsuna noticed the familiar street signs.

He sent another glance at his brother. He met Hikari's eyes and he flinched as he was assaulted by a memory.

_Tick...tock...tick...tock..._

'_Get back here, you bastard!'_

He tried to hold onto the memory but it suddenly vanished.

"Are you alright, Tsu-kun?" Nana asked in concern.

Tsuna smiled and nodded. He didn't want to worry their mother anymore. He had done that a lot in his timeline.

Their house came into view.

_Home sweet home._

* * *

However, he forgot something.

_I forgot to ask what the third reason is!_

* * *

**And there you have the second chapter!**

**Reviews are very much appreciated :)**


	4. Interlude: The Shrouding Mists

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it.**

* * *

**_The illusion that cannot be captured – it is the Mist's duty to create something out of nothing and nothing out of something; thus, bewildering the enemy, rendering the Family's true form intangible with visions of deceit._**

* * *

_Screams._

_"Mommy! Where are you!?"_

_"I'm scared!"_

_Tears._

_"Let me go, you bastard!"_

_Everything was dark. When will it stop?_

_Everyday a child exited through that door and not a single one ever returned._

_Every single day a man in a white coat entered through that door and grabbed a child._

_It was pure horror. They huddled as far as they could from the door. The younger covered their ears while the older shielded them from view. But no one could block the sounds of terrified screaming coming from the door._

_The door opened once more and dread filled _his_ body._

_Oh God. Kami. Buddha. Whatever deity out there, please not me!_

_But _he_ knew it would be _him_._

_The man had already started towards _him_._

He_ scrambled backwards, knocking into other kids in the process. They scattered like birds, leaving _him_ to deal with the man._

_Traitors, he thought dimly._

He_ was weak. The scientists barely gave them food. Just enough for them not to die. _

He_ could not let them see that, however. Just as the man's hand reached for _him_, _he_ gave it a hard bite._

_"You damn brat!" The man cried, shaking _him_ loose._

He_ tasted blood but _he_ would not let go. Not now. Not ever. _He_ would show them. _He_ was strong._ He_ would never bend to their wills._

_The man finally had had enough. He kicked _him_ in the stomach. It made _him_ cry out and let go off the hand._

_The man was not satisfied. He backhanded _him_ and _he_ was sent flying across the room._

_"Leave him alone, byon!" He dimly heard someone yell._

_But it was useless. They dragged _him _through the door._

He_ almost retched when _he_ saw the room. Blood was splattered all over. The corpses of children littered the sides of the room. Everywhere, there were beds with straps on them; some even had blood on them. Machines, equipment and all kinds of pointy things were in there, too._

_It was a scene from Hell._

_A buff man held a gun in one hand and had it pointed to one of the kids. He fired. And the kid fell with a thud, his blood spewing all over the floor. A second passed and the kid's body began to burn with red flames._

_"Tch, wrong formula. We need to redo it."The buff man grunted._

_The man dragged _him_ over to one of the empty beds and strapped _him _on it._

_"Give him the Hell formula." The man who dragged him growled._

_"But, sir-" One of the younger ones started._

_"Do it." The man ordered, leaving no room for complaints._

_Then _he_ knew pain, unbearable pain. They gave _him_ no anaesthetics and left _him_ conscious for the whole operation. They cut open _his_ right eye._

_"Commencing the first path of hell."_

_Then _he _was shown Hell._

_I must stay strong. I will not give in, _he_ thought._

_But then _he_ knew no more._

_When he awoke, it was to a very loud pained scream. _

_He felt power flowing through his veins. But he was too weak to even move. So he bid his time._

_"Sir, test subject #34269 is awake." A woman shouted._

_"Good, send him to room 9667."_

_Room 9667 was a small taste of heaven. They fed _him_ and clothed _him_._

_And they called _him_ their blessing, their super weapon._

_They named _him_ Rokudo Mukuro._

_But they were fools. They handed _him_ the Possession Bullet and Trident and _he _slaughtered them with it. Room by room _he_ entered and left dead bodies behind. They tried to stop _him _with guns, but those would not work on _him.

_Finally _he_ was at the last room. _He_ released _his_ power and killed everyone in it. _His _clothes were drenched in blood, but _he _did not mind._

_These were the blood of monsters, beings not worth to be called humans._

_"Kufufu. Just as I thought, this world isn't worth it at all." _He _said as _he _removed the eye patch. "Let's erase it all. Shall we go together?" _

_Indeed._

* * *

Mukuro woke up with a gasp. Sweat covered his body and his heart hammered against his chest.

He hadn't had that dream for the last five years. The horror of the Estraneo family which he had thought he had forgotten.

_Why now?_

There came a knock on his door.

"Mukuro, are you awake?" Came a woman's voice. "Breakfast's ready. Ken and Chikusa are already down there."

"Yes, Sarah." He replied. "I'll be right there."

Mukuro stood up from his queen-sized bed and headed to his bathroom.

For the past five years, ever since they ran away from the Estraneo Family, Mukuro and his two...friends had been living with the Torrelli Family. They had been adopted by the Boss of the Famiglia and accepted within the Family.

However, they had rejected their kindness at first. They were raised and subjected to horrendous experiments, after all. They were unused to other Families' kind offers when all they had known were assassinations and outright murder attempts when people learned they were from the dreaded Estraneo.

Mukuro had first planned to kill this disgusting mafia family who had treated them with kindness. After all, all mafias were scum and all those who joined didn't deserve to live. He had already concocted a plan to eradicate them.

Mukuro, and only Mukuro, was to gain their trust and possess one of their members to kill the whole Family. It had been rather unfortunate that they found Ken and Chikusa with him.

But, the Torrelli had been different from most mafia families. Yes, there was some wariness in their eyes when the three were introduced to the Family, but that soon changed when they felt no killer intent. They were just a lively bunch who specialized in gambling and entertainment.

A voice had told him that killing this Family would give more bad than good. And so he let go.

Lancia, the strongest man in Northern Italy, had been the one assigned to guard the trio. Mukuro's first instinct was to kill the man, but he had sensed no killer intent so he resigned himself to Lancia's presence.

That was the start of their friendship.

Soon, Mukuro opened up to the Torrelli Family. Ken and Chikusa followed suit. They may have had accepted the Family's kindness, but they hadn't given their trust to them. They always followed Mukuro's lead.

It was with the Torrelli that he learned that not all mafias were horrible. There were some who manage gambling sites, like the Torrelli, and had never killed an innocent soul. And thus, his plan to start a war crumbled.

But he didn't trust the Family with the knowledge of his Flame attribute. To them he was a Null Flame.

Mukuro and the two were trained in physical combat and weapons handling by the Family. For self-defence, they had said. The Boss, it turned out, had great plans for Mukuro. He had planned for Mukuro to inherit a part of the Torrelli, regardless of his Family history.

But Mukuro outright refused. He could not bring himself to associate with the mafia Family, even with a history as clean as theirs.

As much as he loved the Boss like a grandfather, he knew he didn't belong in the Family. He belonged elsewhere.

But where? He had yet to know. But he had one destination in mind.

Mukuro nodded at every servant who greeted him on his way to the dining room. When he entered, he was greeted with the sight of Ken and Chikusa having their one-sided fight.

"Kufufufu, fighting again so early, Ken?" Mukuro said as he sat down.

"Mukuro-sama" Chikusa greeted.

"Mukuro-san, good morning!" Ken greeted enthusiastically before resuming his glaring at Chikusa.

"Mukuro, good morning." The Boss greeted.

Mukuro greeted in kind. The rest of the meal descended to small and idle talks with the Boss complaining about the mountains of paperwork (something all higher-ups seemed to complain about) and Mukuro creeping everyone out with his subtle illusions (something that confused and mentally scarred many members).

"Ah, Boss,"-_"Call me Grandpa. It's been five years. And are you sure you won't change your mind?"_-Mukuro began. "Can I borrow one of the jets?"

It was quite easy for the Boss to agree with Mukuro's request. He was quite used to his young protégé's coming and going at unannounced, random times. What did he care if Mukuro want to leave in the middle of February when it came so close to Valentines?

And so here was Mukuro, one hour later, in a private jet heading towards Japan. He relaxed in his seat, hoping to sleep in.

"Oi, don't hog the food, Kakipi!"

Or not.

Ken and Chikusa, being the loyal lackeys that they were, tagged along. They could not stay in Italy without their leader, after all. And because they were considered minors in the eyes of the law (age had little to no meaning in the Underworld), Lancia had to accompany them to Japan.

"You'll get fat." Chikusa scolded in his usual monotonous tone. He was the only one who could tolerate the obnoxious blond.

"I don't care! Gimme the food!"

Lancia, being the wise man that he was, had retreated to the end of the jet, far from the ruckus. Mukuro imagined the man sleeping comfortably with earmuffs on.

"No."

Mukuro didn't know when he had started seeing the two less as tools and more as friends. Maybe somewhere between running away from the remnants of the Estraneo and tolerating their presence for five years, his view changed.

"Eh?! What did you say?! Lion Channel!"

"Ah, how troublesome."

Mukuro's eyebrows twitched. His sleep would be nothing but a dream with these two. And if they didn't stop, then their jet would be blown out of the sky. Why, oh why did he pick these two up?

A trident had materialized in Mukuro's hand and he forcefully slammed it on the ground, conjuring illusions of ice crawling up their legs.

"Enough." Mukuro commanded. His right eye flared to show just how serious he was.

The two stilled. Chikusa lowered his yoyos and Ken his arms.

"Kufufu. Do you intend to fight the whole trip?" He rhetorically asked.

"Forgive us, Mukuro-sama."

"Sorry, byon."

Finally, some peace and quiet. Mukuro closed his eyes and slipped into one of his illusions.

It was one of the sceneries he was quite fond of. Devoid of any human presence and inventions, the place was an epitome of the garden of Eve. Here, Mukuro could relax and forget that he had lived through a traumatic life.

_Unbelievable..I heard everything._

"Who's there?" Mukuro whirled around but saw no one. He continued to walk, searching for the voice.

_I'm...going to die...Somehow, it's like breathing a sigh of relief._

He chanced upon a bed with machines attached to it. A girl was lying on it. Her right eye was covered with an eye patch and her face was covered with stitched and scratches. Mukuro felt that he should know this girl.

_It's finally...over..._

So she was the source of the voice.

"An ending...is merely the beginning of another cycle." Mukuro said as he strolled closer to the girl.

_Who...?_

"Oya? Did you hear my voice?" He noted with genuine surprise. He certainly did not expect that. "Kufufufu. It seemed taking a walk has led me to something."

"Wh-who? What?" The girl sat up. Her wounds disappeared and her right eye was covered by her long hair. The machineries also vanished. He was no longer surprised. This was an illusionary world and anything could be possible.

Mukuro wondered how she had ended here. Was she an illusionist?

"Perhaps you and I are the same kind of person." He remarked. He willed a bench to appear. "Come, sit with me."

The girl stood up and the blankets fell around her feet, revealing a white dress underneath. Mukuro was struck by a sense of familiarity. He knew this girl.

The girl hesitantly approached the bench.

"Who...are you?" She repeated.

"Rokudo Mukuro." Mukuro replied. "That's what they call me."

"What are you?" The girl asked.

"Oya, that's quite rude. It is common courtesy for the other party to introduce herself next."

The girl blushed in embarrassment and stammered, "I-i'm M-magia N-nagi."

Then everything snapped into place. The sense of familiarity. The déjà vus he had been experiencing. The strange feeling of not belonging in the Torrelli.

_Nagi..._

_He was in Japan and he was eliminating the strongest in order to draw out the Vongola heir..._

_Nagi..._

_He was in a grassy plain. Chikusa and Ken were behind him, both bloody and panting heavily. They were being chased by heavy cloaked, bandaged men._

_"Kufufu. No wonder the jail of Vindice is called the Iron Wall...It's not that simple..." _

_Nagi._

_He was inside Vindice's highest security cell. He temporarily left his body to stroll in one of his illusionary world when he chanced upon the dying girl._

It was so unbelievable that Mukuro just had to believe it.

"Nagi?" He repeated. He remembered now where he had seen this girl. Or better yet, _when._

"Y-yes?" She replied.

"From now on, you will be known as Dokuro Chrome." Mukuro told her. "I'll replace your lost organs with illusions. And when you've recovered enough, I want you to travel immediately to Namimori. Go to Kokuyo Land. I will find you there."

He could not let Nagi stay any longer with those horrible excuses for parents. Contrary to popular beliefs, he was not a heartless person, simply a secretive one. He was not like Sawada Tsunayoshi who wore his emotions on his sleeves.

Kokuyo Land seemed to be the best option as of the moment. He knew the area well enough to declare it safe. Delinquents and hoodlums did not venture there for the skylark took care of the problem.

He could have sent him to Tsunayoshi as he was unsure whether or not he had been involved with Byakuran's experiment.

"Ku...romu?" Nagi mumbled. She looked up and suddenly she was no longer the timid girl a few minutes ago. "Mukuro...-sama?"

And she promptly collapsed.

Mukuro caught her before she hit the ground. Bodiless or not, the ground was hard and meeting it forcefully was not a pleasant experience. She faded from this world and Mukuro knew she had returned to her body.

"Kufufufufu. Sleep well, my cute little Chrome."

He smiled. And now, she was the Chrome he knew.

* * *

_There were screaming and shouting. Oh, how that horrible sound Mukuro wished he never would hear. He had grown up to it; he certainly did not want to die hearing it again._

_But Fate seemed to hate him._

_He was a famed magician now, living under the alias of Aoba Michi, married and definitely not, in any way, related to the atrocious Underground. He had been making a living out of something he knew the best, illusions and tricks._

_Mukuro had been in the middle of his performance on stage when there was an accident. One of the machines had overheated, creating a spark that landed on the nearby puddle of petroleum. A fire had started that travelled all the way to the other gallons of oil. It did not help that most equipment downstairs were flammable._

_The fire had created a powerful explosion when it met the gunpowder used by the performers before him. For what? Mukuro did not watch._

_The explosion caused the support of the building to crumble. The guests made the right decision to flee fast. Chunks of cement were falling on the stage where Mukuro was currently at. He dodged most of them, but one managed the graze his shoulder. _

_Normally, Mukuro would have used his illusions to protect himself but he could not afford the mafia to find him and drag him back to their chaotic life._

_"Papa!" A small scared voice caught his attention. "Papa!"_

_The smoke was starting to thicken and still his eyes strained to search for the source of the voice._

_"Kaito!" Mukuro yelled through the roaring fire which had crawled on the wooden stage. "Kaito! Where are you?! Answer me!"_

_Back then, a quick twirl of his trident would have cleared this smoke in an instant. But Mukuro had sworn off weapons._

Damn it to Hell! _He thought as the trident he had not used for half a decade materialized in his hand._ _He gave it a twirl, powering it with his Flames. The thick smoke funnelled towards the spinning trident, clearing the air around._

_"Papa!" The child's voice came again._

_This time Mukuro could see him. His son's foot was pinned under a huge rock. He hurried to his son's side, heart pounding._

_"Papa!" Kaito cried as he threw his tiny arms around his father's neck. Mukuro's trident fell lifeless on the ground where it dematerialized into nothing, as Mukuro hugged his son back._

_"Ssh..." Mukuro placated. "I'm here. Papa's here."_

_An explosion shook the ground and Mukuro cursed under his breath. They needed to get out _now_. The fire was spreading and smoke would soon be filling the air again. Unfortunately, his son's foot was still buried under the rubble._

_Mukuro needed to break that chunk of concrete. He cursed himself for not bringing Verde's equipment. At least then he'd be able to create something solid to break it._

_But then again, concentrated Flames could generate enough destructive energy needed to break that rock. The other Flames were like that, why would the Mist be any different? He closed his eyes and concentrated. Even if the mafia found him, at least his son would be safe._

_"Papa...?" Kaito asked as he sobbed._

_Mukuro's trident appeared once again in his hands. He opened his eyes, his left eye showing the kanji One. Indigo flames coated the trident._

_In one enraged shout, he slammed the forked head heavily down the concrete. The concrete immediately shattered and scattered. Mukuro immediately covered his son, protecting him from flying projectiles. Something as measly as these would not be enough to kill him._

_Mukuro picked up his son, wincing from the pain that shot through his shoulder. Then he ran, avoiding the occasional falling debris and roaring fire. They had almost reached the exit when another explosion shook the ground. The ceiling fell, blocking the exit._

_He skidded to a stop, seconds away from being flattened by the wood support._

_"Damn." He cursed under his breath. His eyes roved the destruction in front of him before finally spotting a way between the wooden supports. He could see flashes of red and blue that signified the presence of the emergency vehicles._

_He set his son down and knelt in front of him._

_"Kaito," He said."Can you see that hole?" He waited for the boy to nod. "I want you to crawl through that hole-"Another explosion. How much gunpowder did that woman bring anyway? "-and find your mother. Understand?"_

_The boy nodded again._

_"What about you, Papa?" Kaito asked through teary eyes. He was smart enough to realize that his father would not fit through that hole._

_"I'll find another way, I promise."_

_Mukuro watched as his son did as he ordered then he turned around. He _had _to find a way out. Unfortunately, the fire had already spread to a dire level. All possible exits, windows, doors or stairs, were either blocked in, destroyed, or a raging fire block his path._

_He would not give up. In between jumping over railings, dodging burning debris and climbing broken stairs, Mukuro had somehow reached the rooftop._

_Good, the fire hadn't reached here yet._

_He stood at the edge of the building, seeing fire trucks lined in front of the building as they battled against the intense fire. Ambulances and police cars were also there, overseeing the injured and holding off the onlookers._

_He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his wife and son safely among the crowd._

_He was about to jump-a height like this was nothing for him- when a voice spoke from behind him, "Good evening, Mukuro-kun. Or do you prefer Michi-kun?"_

_"Kufufu. Have they come to take me back?" Mukuro asked. He need not turn. He already knew who the speaker was._

_"Nope." The speaker cheerfully replied, drawing out the 'p'. Out of his peripheral vision, Mukuro saw the man stand beside him, surveying the scene before them. "The Vongola, or any of the Families, have no idea I'm here."_

_This time Mukuro did turn his head towards Byakuran Gesso. He merely raised an eyebrow at the white-haired man's youthful appearance._

_"What I'm here for..." Byakuran trailed off, tapping his lower lips contemplatively while steadily approaching Mukuro._

_Mukuro tensed, his hand poised and ready to summon his trident at any moment._

_"Maa, maa, Mukuro-kun," Byakuran was still giving off a creepy smile. "No need for hostilities."_

_Then he punched Mukuro on the stomach, fist coated with Sky Flames. Mukuro whose reflexes had dulled but not forgotten over thirty plus years of noncombat barely dodged the fist. It grazed his side; however, a minute contact was all Byakuran needed. _

_"Kufufu. What-!" The light went out from Mukuro's eyes and he fell limp at Byakuran's waiting arms._

_And here was test subject number two._

_Byakuran carried the man over his shoulders and flew down the building's side. He had a body to deliver, a grieving family to attend to and an experiment to conduct._

* * *

**Byakuran is too meddlesome...**

**I find Mukuro very much difficult to write. Did I portray him right or is he too OOC?**

**How about Ken or Chikusa?**

**If there is anything confusing in this fic, please don't hesitate to ask :)**

**Review please.**

**The site is messing with my line breaks D:**


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